Kevin Durant on NBA scoring title: Carmelo Anthony can have it

The Oklahoma City Thunder are fighting for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Kevin Durant is currently leading the NBA in scoring, but his top priority is getting back to the NBA Finals and erasing the feeling of falling a few games short of an NBA championship. Carmelo Anthony is hot on his heels for the scoring crown, but Durant doesn’t seem concerned about it.

“He can have it,” Durant told Jeff Caplan of NBA.com on Thursday. “I mean the stuff he’s doing right now, every time he touches the ball it looks like it’s going to go in. He’s having a nice run right now and his confidence is high. I’m sure he’s going to take over. If it happens, cool.”

Durant is averaging 28.3 points per game and Anthony is averaging 28.1 and closing the gap. Melo put up 50 points against the Miami Heat on Tuesday and 40 against the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, so it’s safe to say he’s riding a hot hand. With eight games remaining and only a 0.2-point differential, there is certainly plenty of time for Anthony to pass Durant.

Winning the scoring title this season would be no small feat for Durant, who has won it the past three seasons. Only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain have captured more than three consecutive scoring titles, so he would be joining legendary company. Having said that, I’m sure he’d much rather have something else in common with Wilt and MJ — a championship ring.